The following was originally published by the Press-Republican and Yahoo News!.
As more and more states, including New York, develop baseline sets of attributes to prepare each high school graduate for a happy and successful life, the nonprofit Brilliant Pathways has launched the Pathways to Possibility program to help local school districts meet these state directives.
“The skills championed by Portrait of a Graduate — critical thinking, communication and creativity — align seamlessly with the model we’ve refined over 35 years,” Brilliant Pathways CEO Tara Smith said in a press release. “Our proven approach empowers schools to achieve their goals while helping students build purposeful, fulfilling lives.”
Pathways to Possibility is designed to help students prepare for college, careers and life through a comprehensive, school-wide approach to readiness and opportunity.
Brilliant Pathways, a leading college- and career-readiness nonprofit based in Essex, has empowered over 110,000 students to shape successful futures.
This coming school year, Brilliant Pathways partnering with 20 new schools nationwide, offering fully funded, partially funded and standard partnership opportunities to help every student build a clear path to their goals.
Over 20 state school systems have now adopted Portrait of a Graduate standards, which, in New York, include demonstrating creativity, critical thinking, communication, reflection and global awareness.
“To many local school boards that are under constant pressure just to get through their average day, these attributes will certainly sound worthy, but there may be little time or guidance to see them through,” Smith said. “Brilliant Pathways knows how to step in and seamlessly make these ideals a reality.”
P2P is built around Brilliant Pathways’ long-established model of helping schools embed college and career readiness into everyday student life, not as a standalone program, but as part of the school’s culture. The initiative is organized around three core pillars: essential skills, mentoring and partnerships, and pathways to college and career, all connected through the organization’s 10-Point Plan framework.
“Pathways to Possibility puts theory into practice with intuitive concepts that teachers and students can actually get excited about,” Smith said. “Through mentoring, exposure to colleges and workplaces, and the development of durable life and leadership skills, P2P is intended to help schools create lasting systems of support for young people.”
Each participating school will receive the full P2P experience, regardless of funding tier. That includes a dedicated program director; on-site and virtual implementation support; access to professional development and training, digital resources, including the Brilliant Career Lab; and opportunities to connect students and educators with Brilliant Pathways’ network of over 280 college and corporate partners.
The timeline for the inaugural cohort is already underway.
Applications are due May 1. Schools will be notified by May 15, and selected schools will begin participation in mid-August.